Three Little Words
by m1s7resss
Summary: After being locked up in a mental ward Hermione remembers her life with a certain Slytherin. Yet the only reminders she has of him is the precious trinkets he gave her just before that day. Oneshot. Complete.


Summary: AU: After being locked up in a mental ward Hermione remembers her life with a certain Slytherin. Yet the only reminders she has of him are the precious trinkets he gave her just before that day. Oneshot. Complete.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. We all know that he; along with the rest of the characters, belong to the wonderful J.K. ROWLING. I also don't own most of this plot, along with some of the quotes.

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THREE LITTLE WORDS

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Hermione Granger walked around the halls of her aunt's house aimlessly. Today was the anniversary of his death, and they had just released her from St. Mungo's Mental Care Center. She had been in the care center for two years now. The people working there were always trying to help her. She didn't need their help all she needed was _him_. Hermione stumbled clumsily into her room.

Her room looked the same. Nothing had changed about it. It was still a sky blue colour, with pink stripes. She hadn't decorated it. It was like that when she had arrived, it didn't bother her as much. The room was adorned with dolls that he had given her. He had never failed to hand her a doll each day. She placed herself on her bed, where most of the dolls had been set. Some had dark brown locks like hers, and others had platinum blonde hair like his. She picked up a doll with platinum blond hair, and big blue eyes that reminded Hermione of him.

The dolls looked so life-like staring up at her. Once in a while, they had given her peace. Something she rarely ever experienced now. Hermione remembered being in the mental ward screaming her lungs off just to see one doll. She couldn't believe that these were the only things that she had left that reminded her so much of him. So much of his smile, his touch… but never his kiss. She had longed to feel what his lips felt like, what his kiss tasted like. Thinking about this always brought a pang of pain to her heart. She pushed these feelings downward, and continued thinking about her past.

He had been her everything since they had put their rivalry aside. Hermione remembered that faithful day; it was the summer before sixth year had started. They had spontaneously met up during the summer break. She had been visiting her aunt, who coincidentally lived on the same street as he did, and even more surprising his neighbour. Hermione's aunt held the blood of the witch in her family. It was natural that she wanted to be close to magical people. After all, it was a part of her now.

While she was out by herself, she had settled herself near a patch of grass. Eyelids slid over her eyes and she relaxed. She would rarely hear the birds chirping in the city where she lived with her parents. Hermione always enjoyed having peace and quiet once in a while. Until she heard his voice. She thought she would never hear that voice until the beginning of the school year.

AU: After being locked up in a mental ward Hermione remembers her life with a certain Slytherin. Yet the only reminders she has of him are the precious trinkets he gave her just before that day. Oneshot. Complete. 

"What are you doing here, Granger?" the cold voice pierced through her ears.

Hermione groaned shaking her head. _N_ _No it couldn't be him. _She brought her head up, and her eyes squinted from the blinding sunlight. She moaned in contempt. It was him! Great! Summer break just got better.

"Malfoy, that's not any of your business. But what are you doing here?" Hermione countered.

The blonde boy scoffed at her question and took a seat beside her, much to her surprise.

"If it's none of my business to know why you're here, shouldn't it be any of your business to know why I'm here?" Malfoy retorted.

Hermione smiled slightly, he was right. She closed her eyes once again, and leaned back against her arms. Letting the sun's warmth spread on her face. Draco watched as she closed her eyes and basked in the sun. In that moment Draco realised that she indeed was beautiful. He had put aside calling her _Mudblood_ during their fifth year. He had figured that calling each other names was stooping to a six-year-olds level, and Draco was by no means a six-year-old child.

Yet, Harry and Ron kept calling him names. Always finding ways to make him angry. Hermione was always the one who never paid any attention to them and their rows. That was why he had never bothered to poke fun at her.

"Just so you know, Granger, I live here," Draco said out of nowhere, as if it was normal that the two of them talked without any hexes or curses.

Hermione opened one eye to look at him. So, he wasn't ignoring her.

"My aunt lives here as well. That big white house over there," Hermione said pointing to the house she had described.

Draco smirked as his eyes followed to where she was pointing. So Leah was her aunt? Interesting.

"Indeed. I live in the big grey house with the navy blue roof." Draco too pointed to his house.

Hermione's jaw had dropped open dramatically in shock. Aunt Leah was his neighbour? Of all the things that had ever walked the green planet, Hermione would never guess that. She had been visiting her Aunt Leah's house two weeks before she went to stay with the Weasleys each summer. Only now had she found out that she had been spending summer next door to her archrival. Well, not necessarily her archrival any longer, he was Harry and Ron's.

Hermione did notice that Draco had stopped calling her _Mudblood_ as of last year. That had been surprising to Hermione, yet she was a bit relieved that he had matured. Though, she couldn't say the same for her two best mates.

"Don't act too surprise, Granger," Draco said after a moment of silence.

"Sorry about that," the Gryffindor murmured softly.

"You could've told me that your Aunt was a witch, I would've stopped calling you _Mudblood_ ages ago," Draco said quietly.

"What's this? Malfoy, are you trying to apologize?" Hermione teased.

Hermione didn't know what was coming over her. She was compelled to tease him, and perhaps if he would let her, befriend him. What on earth? She wasn't thinking that, was she? Draco scowled at her, while she simply raised a slender eyebrow, an amused look on her face. This only caused the blonde to sigh in frustration.

"I'm just saying," Draco said before lying down on the light green grass.

"Alright then," Hermione said, before too, lying down next to him on the green grass.

They stayed that way for quite some time, not moving; just enjoying each other's presence. Only when the sun had set did they move. Hermione sat up and brushed the invisible dirt off of her. Draco stood up, and held out his hand a sign saying that he wanted to help her. Hermione gladly took up on the offer and stood up. They remained in front of each other for the longest time, not knowing what to say.

"It was … uh … nice seeing you again, Ma- Draco," Hermione said uncertainly, not knowing what to say.

Draco looked up from the grass, shocked that she had said his first name. He let out a small smile, and nodded at her.

"Yes, it was nice seeing you again too, Hermione."

Hermione smiled at this, and backed away from him, and waved goodbye. He waved back slightly and then realised what he was doing. He was waving goodbye to a Gryffindor... and it was Hermione Granger no less! Putting his hand down, he walked back home. A small frown settled upon his handsome features. Draco had a strange feeling well up within him, yet he didn't know what it was. And right now, he didn't like it. Hermione had the same feeling, though she knew what it was. How could she be falling in love with someone she had claimed to hate for six years? Or even, just had one civil conversation with? Could she even count it as a conversation? She didn't like the way this situation was turning out.

For the past few days, Hermione and Draco kept meeting up at the same spot. Later on it was called _Our Special Spot_. Narcissa could tell that Draco was falling in love, with that sappy smile he had on whenever he came back from mysteriously leaving the house everyday. Same with Leah, she could tell that her niece was falling deeper and deeper. The two coincidentally decided that they wanted to find out who this mysterious person was, which made their loved ones happy every time they came back from wherever they went.

That day the two met up both shocked to find the other there. They didn't need to explain why they were there; they both knew what was going on. The puzzle pieces slowly fit together for the two. Hermione and Draco were in love. They watched how the two would spend the day and their goodbyes. They were so ecstatic.

The following week, Draco had given Hermione a doll. The doll had curly golden-honey locks with big chocolate brown eyes. It nearly looked like Hermione. Everyday after that, Draco would give her a doll, whether it had golden-honey hair, or platinum blonde. Hermione would always smile in thanks.

Too soon for the two, they had to start a new year at Hogwarts. The rivalry between the houses didn't stop the two young ones from continually meeting each day. Without fail, Draco would always hand Hermione a doll every morning.

Harry and Ron had started to get curious as to where their friend had been getting all these dolls. Parvati and Lavender would talk about the piles and piles of dolls that belonged to Hermione, and how she would always add an additional doll everyday. Things started to get suspicious.

Blaise kept wondering why Draco kept on asking her for dolls. Yet she didn't ask him questions. By now she was certain that the Prince of Slytherin was in love. But … who was the lucky woman? For Blaise, it was hard to tell who it was. Draco met tons of girls; one of those girls would have to be the one.

Hermione would always get hurt whenever Draco would meet and flirt with girls right in front of her. She constantly felt like slapping the girls for giggling and flirtatiously touching him, here and there. She would never show that it bugged her, or that it hurt her so bad. Even she didn't know what was coming over her. She didn't know why it hurt. Okay, so maybe she did... but was it safe? Could she really love him?

Hermione smiled at the thought that crossed her head. Maybe she could love him. He wasn't so bad. But, would he feel the same way she did? Was it even possible?

The two were all alone in the Prefects' Common Room doing homework. Hermione had checked that no one else was occupying the room but themselves. Hermione had decided that tonight would be the night that she would confess her love to Draco Malfoy. She didn't know how to confess her love to him; it was all very perplexing to her mind. Very timidly she made her way to where he was sitting.

She sank down on the plush couch next to him, startling Draco a bit. Once he knew that it was her, he smiled. Something that he rarely showed anyone. Hermione smiled back. She opened her mouth hesitantly, and then shut it again. She didn't know how to word it.

"You were going to speak?" Draco questioned.

Hermione looked up at him, and nodded.

"Well?"

"Draco … I …"

"You…?"

"I … like you," Hermione said.

Needless to say Draco was shocked, yet disappointed. He was hoping that she would tell him that she loved him. She didn't though. Draco smiled and admitted that he had grown quite fond of her as well. From that day on, the two were inseparable. They were always seen with each other.

That was when the rest of the world finally got a clue. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were dating. Needless to say, they were all shocked to the core. It wasn't that way for Harry and Ron. They were practically fuming when the news had gotten around to them. They purposely ignored Hermione from that day on. Draco wasn't surprised in the least.

Hermione was broken, but she kept living her life. Hermione's life had revolved around Draco, and school, nothing else. She had nothing to live for except for those two special things. Though, Hermione knew that there was a very thin line between Draco Malfoy and herself. To Hermione, it was solely, just Draco. It had always been that way ever since Harry and Ron had deserted her. . To Draco, she was just another girl. She knew it. And no matter how much it hurt, she would smile each day and accept it. Every time she did so, a piece of heart would chip.

"Draco?"

"What?"

"You want to go for a walk?"

"No."

"Oh. Are you busy or something?" Hermione questioned.

Her heart failing to beat, she felt disappointment grab at her.

"No. I just need to see a friend," Draco answered.

He got up from where he sat, he quickly gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and left. Hermione sighed; he had always been that way. He kept meeting girls in front of her, like it was perfectly normal. Still allowing them to flirt with him constantly. Hermione was relentlessly hurt, but she didn't show it. She smiled like nothing had changed. Who was she to tell him what to do with his life?

Since she had known him, she had never heard _I love you_ come out of his mouth. To them, there weren't any anniversaries. He never said anything from the first day, and it continued until 100 days, 200 days. Everyday before they had said goodbye, he would hand her a perfectly beautiful doll, as if it were an everyday routine. Hermione never knew why, she just accepted it.

"Draco … I," Hermione started.

She didn't know what she was doing.

"What? Spit it out," Draco said, clutching something behind his back.

"I love you," Hermione finally admitted.

Draco didn't know how to respond.

"Here, take the doll … and just go to your dorm." Draco gave her the doll and walked away.

Hermione slumped down against the wall behind her. He was running away from her feelings. The dolls in Hermione's room continued to pile up. The next day was her seventeenth birthday. She woke up feeling happy. She ran down the steps showered, and ran into the Great Hall. She found Draco nowhere in sight. Lunch passed, and along came dinner, and Draco was nowhere to be seen.

Broken-hearted Hermione went to sleep. In the depths of the night, she heard tapping at her window. Groggily, she made her way to the window. She instantly recognized Draco's owl. She let the bird in happily; she took the piece of parchment from the bird's beak. Opening the piece of parchment, she felt its rough texture as she read its inky black contents.

Meet me in the Prefects Common Room.

That was all it said. Hermione hurriedly got dressed and ran to the Prefects Common Room. There he was serenely sitting on the couch, where Hermione had confessed to him. She made her way towards him; he looked up and saw her. He swiftly handed her the doll.

"Draco…"

"Take this."

"I didn't give it to you yesterday, so I'm giving it to you now. I'm going to bed now, bye," Draco said.

He brushed past her. Hermione stopped him.

"Wait! Draco! Don't you know what today is?" Hermione asked clutching the doll to her.

"Huh?" was Draco's response. Hermione felt sorrow overcome her. Of all the things that he could have forgotten, how could he forget about her birthday? She sadly went back up to the Gryffindor tower.

By now, the school year was over and she would go back to visit her Aunt Leah. She had locked herself up in her room, in her aunt's house. No matter what her aunt did she would stay cooped up in her room, like a lost bird. Yet the dolls didn't stop coming from him. He would always leave them outside the house, and her aunt would always bring them up to her.

Hermione gathered up her courage and went out to do an errand for her aunt. Hoping that she would not meet Draco. On her way back she spotted the blonde Slytherin boy. He smirked as he saw her and he made his way towards her. He stopped in front of her and handed her a doll, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Glad you came out of the house," Draco said, smirk still in place.

All Hermione could do was smile and nod as she took the doll into her porcelain hands.

"See you tomorrow," Draco said before turning away.

Hermione looked up at his words and called out to him.

"Wait!"

Draco turned around and he looked at her curiously.

"Did you want to say something?" Draco asked.

"Tell me, please, tell me you love me," Hermione cried out, as she flung herself on him. She didn't know what had taken over her. But she needed to know. She needed to know so she could stop hurting. Draco didn't know what to do, but respond with harsh, cold words.

"I don't want to say that I love someone so effortlessly. If you are this desperate, Hermione, go find someone else," Draco said.

He shrugged her off of him, and left. He ran off, not looking back at the broken hearted girl he had left behind. Hermione felt so devastated. So … betrayed by him. She began to think that he wasn't the one for her any longer. He didn't owl her. She was expecting him to owl her. The dolls kept piling and piling up outside of her aunts door.

Hermione got herself together, and went to their special spot. As she crossed the road, she saw him there. Standing next to Blaise Zabini, one of the girls in Slytherin. Draco had a smile on his face, as he accepted the doll. A smile that he had never showed her, a smile that he had never given her. Hermione ran straight back home without looking back.

Those dolls! Those dolls weren't really from him. They were dolls from other girls. In rage, she threw the dolls around the room. A moment later, Draco's owl was outside her window. She threw open the windows and accepted the note attached to the owl's leg. She opened the note.

Meet me at our special spot.

That was all it said. Hermione tried to calm herself down; she kept reminding herself that he wasn't worth crying over if he was going to do that. When she arrived at their special spot, where they had first met, she saw him. Draco Malfoy was holding a big doll.

"Hey Mione," Draco greeted.

He held out the doll as usual.

"I don't need it," Hermione answered harshly.

"What!" Draco exclaimed.

"I don't fucking need this doll! I don't fucking want to see a fucking person like you ever again!" Hermione shouted in rage. "You don't care about me, Draco! You never did."

She took the doll and threw it across the road. Hermione spit out all the raged words inside her. Draco stood there; his eyes were cold like ice. As he looked at her, she could feel the shudder trail up her spine.

"I'm sorry," Draco apologized in a tiny voice that she didn't recognize.

Draco then went to the middle of the road, to pick up the doll.

"Are you stupid?" Hermione screamed at him.

"Leave the damn doll there! Don't pick it up! Throw it away!" Hermione yelled.

Draco just ignored her, and bent down to pick up the doll. ! Honk! Honk. Hermione looked to the other side of the road, a truck!

"Draco! Draco! Move away!" Hermione shrieked at the boy.

But he didn't hear her. The truck was getting closer and closer.

"Fuck! Draco move the fuck away!" Hermione cried at the top of lungs.

BOOM!

The sound was still clear in Hermione's ears.

That was how Draco Lucius Malfoy had left her. Not even opening his eyes to say a single word to her. She spent two years crazy, and locked up in St. Mungo's Mental Care Center. Two years filled with guilt and sorrow for losing him.

The dolls that placidly enhanced her room were the only gifts he had given her since they had started dating. She kept remembering the days that they spent together, the days she spent loving him.

"One, two, three…"

Hermione started counting the dolls.

"Four hundred and eighty three, four hundred and eighty four, four hundred and eighty five."

They always ended at 485 dolls. Hermione then started to cry once more. She cried, with the doll in her arms, hugging it tightly to her.

"I love you."

Hermione dropped the doll in shock.

"I -- lo … love you?" Hermione said the words in disbelief.

She picked up the doll and pressed its stomach.

"I love you."

No. It couldn't be! Hermione picked up all the dolls and pressed their stomachs.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I love you."

The words came out of the dolls non-stop. Hermione stopped as realization swept over her. Draco always loved her. Since … they had put their rivalry to the side. How come she had never realised it? Hermione took out the doll that Draco had given her before he had died. It still had his bloodstains on it. She pressed the doll's stomach, it came out. The voice that she had been longing to hear for nearly two years.

"Hermione, do you know what today is? Four hundred and eight-six. We've loved each other for four hundred and eighty-six days. I couldn't say I love you, um … since I was too shy. If you forgive me, and take this doll. I will say I love you until the day I die. Hermione, I love you!"

And the voice stopped talking.

Hermione's tears kept flowing down her face by then. Why hadn't she figured out what those dolls meant? He may be someplace else now, but his love isn't.

"I love you, Draco," Hermione whispered as she clutched the doll to her.

Draco's spirit smiled down at her from his place. He whispered, "I love you, Hermione."

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**END STORY**

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